Tripura LoP seeks Governor's intervention in alleged recruitment scandal at MBB University

Tripura Leader of Opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury, on October 23 wrote a letter to Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu, seeking intervention in the alleged illegal and unfair recruitment process at Maharaja Bir Bikram University in Agartala.

In the letter, Chaudhury, who is also the state secretary of the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPIM), stated that the state university has allegedly been charged with an illegal recruitment process. He claimed that the actions of the Vice-Chancellor of MBB University, involved in the recruitment process, do not conform to the standards and regulations set by the University Grants Commission.

He pointed out that Maharaja Bir Bikram University is Tripura's State Public University, established in 2015 with the hope of pursuing educational excellence. However, the discrepancies in the current recruitment process will definitely prevent the institution from achieving its goals if they are not addressed immediately, he ascertained.

“The university published an advertisement for various departments, totaling 14 teaching posts. The controversy over the recruitment process arose when the sitting Vice-Chancellor of MBBU, Professor Dr. Satyadeo Poddar, whose term is set to end in the second week of December 2024, attempted to complete the entire recruitment process hurriedly and unlawfully,” he alleged.

Chaudhury said that the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India brought a regulation on 6th March, 2020 declaring that the Vice-Chancellor, even the in-charge Vice-Chancellors to desist from any recruitment process whose term is ceased to exist, specifically, within two months before concluding the term.

“However, the concerned Vice-Chancellor has refrained from following the spirit of the circular. The question has been raised over the unfair screening process as well. Following the UGC regulations, the university invited external experts from the concerned subject to scrutinize the application but Prof. Podder was not satisfied with the scrutiny results.  Under the circumstances, your kind intervention is extremely solicited to save Maharaja Bir Bikram University from such illicit activities and to promote a wholesome and sustainable atmosphere for education in the state. Upon hope and utmost trust whereof, I presume to be your petitioner. I may be excused for taking your valuable time to review this request”, the letter reads.